Category Archives: Weekly Card

Firstly, I’d like to apologize for the lack of a card last week. Life got so busy and in the way that I was unable to finish the post in time, and I did not feel it right to put the post up only part-way finished. And now, on to this week’s reading…

The Blessed Realms… the Undying Lands… The land of Arda. All these names for the place in which the gods, the Valar, of Middle Earth reside. It is into the West that the elves passed, the land of paradise and eternal bliss. It is here they dwelled in peace and splendor. Until the days of Morgoth returned and Arda was marred by his poison. But these lands, even after the splendor was spoilt, were again made peaceful. Here life is eternal, and here are the beauties that outshine all things.

The Blessed Realms represent life, peace, joy, tranquility, and the end of struggles and strife.

In the weeks before, many of the cards I pulled were… well, let’s be honest here. They were a bit dark and spoke of great difficulty. Now, that difficulty is past, or is about to be past. Now is the time of fulfillment of goals, ambitions, and the pursuit of spiritual matters. But be warned, like with the return of Morgoth, these good tidings can be spoilt if you allow your priorities to get muddled and yourself blinded by this sudden bliss. Don’t forget the fight to reach this point, as it will serve to remind you not to take this positive turn for granted.

Saruman wasn’t always the bad guy we know from The Lord of the Rings. He began his existence as a Maia (god-like entities one tier below the actual gods of Middle Earth), like Gandalf, like Sauron. He was the eldest of the five Istari (wizards) to arrive in Middle Earth to oppose Sauron, as well as the first of them to arrive. He was the chief of the White Council, and was the most powerful and skilled of the wizards. So what changed? As he studied Sauron’s tactics, his devices and strategy, so that they may better oppose him, he began to admire Sauron’s power and skill. And, eventually, this admiration turned to emulation. Emulation turned to competition. Saruman fell to greed and the lust for power into the darkness he was sent to dispell.

Saruman’s greatest power was that of his words, and he used it extensively for personal gain during the War of the Ring. His silver tongue could persuade the mightiest to lay down their swords, and make the most evil of entities believe he would bow to their will while acting and doing otherwise. His spells could enslave the minds of others, and his voice could bring down mountains. Saruman is best known as the false counselor, as he worked through his servant Wormtongue to enslave the mind of King Theoden of Rohan.

Saruman appears at this time as a warning. There lies within your ranks of trusted advice givers someone who may not be working for your benefit, and has ulterior motives of their own. Be they small or be they large, the fact is they aren’t concerned with you and your situation, but how it can benefit themselves. Because this is Saruman we’re talking about, the false adviser won’t be obvious to you. But consider Saruman’s origin, and his fall from grace. In the beginning he was a trustworthy and reliable ally, but over the course of time and experience had turned his back on his purpose to seek the path of self gain. Before seeking advice from your nearest and dearest, consider what that person might have to gain by giving you advice one way or the other.

The Eye of Sauron; the disembodied presence of the most powerful evil entity that still existed in Middle Earth during the Third Age. The Eye is all seeing, and presumed to be all powerful as well. It’s influence had been able to turn even the chief Maiar sent to aid the peoples of Middle Earth, Saruman the White, to darkness and evil.

The fight against the forces of Sauron was often times bleak. We all have moments like this in our lives. At this time, remember the words of Galadriel to the Fellowship when they were first brought before her.

“The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all… Yet hope remains while the company is true.”

You feel like everyone is watching you. Like they are waiting for you to make a mistake, to fail. They might be. It’s entirely possible that people are trying to analyze your every action. However, like the Fellowship in the face of The Eye, do not lose hope. They matter little in the grander scheme, and are only trying to shift focus onto you in order to distract from their own shortcomings and problems. Do not let the fear of mistakes stop you. Yes, you may feel like everything is pushed on you right now. But you’re not alone. You need only ask for help from friends, family, or look into what other resources may be available to you in your situation right now. Form then turn to your Fellowship to aid you. It’s what they are there for.

All cultures across time have their demons and dark entities… Middle Earth is no different. The Black Riders come trampling in this week because it’s a big one for loss and battling personal demons. There’s going to be a serious breakdown in communication, and if you don’t work on fixing that, it’ll lead to a HUGE disaster. Seriously. The Black Riders aren’t just baddies, they’re BIG BADDIES, meaning expect bad things to go unusually big and dramatic this week.

Keep your head on straight, though, and you’ll muddle through. It’s gonna be hard, it’s gonna be grueling, and it’s gonna get rough. But remember two little words: Don’t Panic!

Home. Family. Traditions. Community. These are what need your attention right now. The Hobbits are a simple people with simple wants and desires. Though small, they are a sturdy and hardworking folk who revel in getting their hands covered in earth and having a relaxing evening with friends and family at the end of the day. Slow down and enjoy what life has given you, and enjoy the people around you. Be they blood or family by choice.

This is a good time to un-complicate your life by paring down to the simple things that make you happy and content.